Chapter 74: Back to Future
The vacation continued with Qiuying dragging Miaoyi around Beijing, although Miaoyi seemed noticeably distracted this time.
Her mind was preoccupied with the task of creating the new song, "Countdown," for the film "Counting the Seconds." She had ideas, but executing them without her equipment proved challenging, so she started brainstorming the style instead.
The unique tone she aimed for presented a difficulty even for the top producers in her original world, let alone someone like her, who was considered a copycat.
Not only did she need to capture an emotion that was absent from the genre, but she also had to ensure it remained relevant to the film and surpass every other electronic song in this world.
The more she thought about it, the more daunting it seemed. Was this task too difficult to pull off?
Digging deeper, Miaoyi questioned if she truly needed to start from scratch. There were artists with similar works, so modifying their sound to suit her needs should be possible.
Furthermore, she no longer had to worry about the lyrics. Qiuying, being unfamiliar with electronic music production, offered to handle the writing, as it was her forte, as long as they were in Chinese. Her English wasn't yet proficient enough to write complex poetry.
But which artists should she draw inspiration from? Martin Jensen and Avicii's styles leaned more towards club-like pieces rather than love ballads. The Chainsmokers came closer, but their vibe was too somber.
That meant she had to discover a new artist.
Or perhaps she was approaching this the wrong way. All she truly needed was one song, one song that could embody the desired vibe and serve as a starting point.
After all, the hardest part of embarking on something new was getting started.
As she pondered, an idea sparked in Miaoyi's mind. She had thought of the perfect song, although it didn't meet her initial requirements. She had been seeking a Chinese electronic song about romance that would fit the film, which seemed impossible.
She realized she was being too narrow-minded. All she needed was a song she could recontextualize in this new world!
A song with a foundation that could work, allowing her to build her next masterpiece upon it.
And she found it.
"Never Be Like You," released on January 16th, 2016, by Australian producer Flume and Canadian singer Kai, proved to be the ideal song. It achieved multi-platinum status in three countries and received a Grammy nomination for Best Song of 2016.
There were two primary reasons why this song fit perfectly.
Firstly, she had already mastered its genre! "Never Be Like You" fell under the category of Future Bass, just like "Closer," making it an ideal candidate since much of the groundwork was already done.
Secondly, and most importantly, its structure. The song's simple yet captivating ethereal verses leading into a powerful and emotionally charged chorus made it a seamless fit for the romance genre.
When Miaoyi had initially reviewed it in her original world, she described it as a master class of environmental ambiance. Despite its straightforward chords, notes, and harmonies, the song never felt empty due to the meticulous attention given to its atmosphere.
Somehow, she had stumbled upon the perfect foundation to build upon with this one song.
The one issue was the lyrics were in a different language and had a completely unrelated meaning.
But Qiuying should be able to handle it.
...
..
.
Qiuying can handle it... right?
- - - - - - - - - -
Time swiftly approached noon on the fourth day of their vacation.
As the renowned writer Lu Xun once said, "Time flies when you're having fun." This marked the final day of Miaoyi and the others' stay in the capital.
Regrettably, the need to pack their belongings for departure led them to order room service for dinner. Hence, Miaoyi, Qiuying, and Yun Jie found themselves in the hotel room sponsored by East Records.
During these few days, Miaoyi relished a well-deserved rest as she relieved her mind from figuring out the next steps. Additionally, her trip to the capital proved quite fruitful.
She successfully secured a contract with a label and even found her manager.
Speaking of Yun Jie...
Although this newly recruited manager appeared only slightly older than Miaoyi herself, upon closer observation, Miaoyi swiftly recognized his capabilities, reaffirming the old adage "don't judge a book by its cover." That was precisely why Yun Jie accompanied them at present.
Miaoyi reminisced about her previous conversation with the crew of "Counting the Seconds." They mentioned that they would find time during these few days to visit the capital and personally meet Miaoyi to discuss a collaboration for the film's soundtrack.
The crew of "Counting the Seconds" had officially arrived in the capital this morning!
At that moment, Miaoyi had just woken up from her hotel bed and had not yet fully regained consciousness. She received a call from Xia Zilan, who informed her of their arrival at the International Airport in the capital.
Naturally, Miaoyi delegated this task directly to her trusted manager, providing Yun Jie with an opportunity to showcase his business acumen.
Miaoyi did not think much of assigning tasks from the outset.
Moreover, it was something a manager should handle, as she intended to relinquish personal involvement in such matters in the future. Additionally, it presented an opportunity for Yun Jie to prove himself.
Consequently, Miaoyi entrusted Yun Jie with the responsibility and went back to sleep.
When Miaoyi awoke again, it was already past lunchtime. Her hunger roused her from bed.
After getting up and freshening up, Miaoyi emerged from the room and spotted Qiuying and Yun Jie in the living room. Yun Jie was engrossed in watching TV, and a hefty contract document lay on the coffee table.
Disregarding the anime playing on TV, Miaoyi settled onto the sofa and picked up the contract, curiously asking Yun Jie, "So, how did it go? Smoothly?"
Miaoyi did not bother inquiring whether the contract had been signed with the crew of "Counting the Seconds." Instead, she straightforwardly inquired about the overall progress.
Since the contract had been presented, it must have been successfully concluded, rendering further inquiries superfluous.
"Good afternoon," Yun Jie shifted his attention away from the anime and smiled, saying, "I would say the outcome is satisfactory. The other party is genuinely eager to collaborate, and negotiating the terms wasn't overly challenging. However, I was only able to secure a 30% increase in the copyright fee for the theme song compared to the standard rate."
"30%?" Miaoyi momentarily froze, raising an eyebrow as she said, "What do you mean 'only 30%'? Are you truly that remarkable?"
What did he mean by 'only 30%'?
That figure was substantial by any measure. In negotiations involving financial interests, it represented a lofty benchmark. Nonetheless, it appeared that Yun Jie was not content with this number.
Regardless, Yun Jie had already surpassed expectations by achieving such an outcome.
"Is there anything else?" Miaoyi's eyes sparkled, and she promptly inquired because she had noticed that aside from the fundamental copyright income, Yun Jie had also secured additional conditions.
"Yes, as you instructed me earlier, we agreed on the condition of not participating in any subsequent projects associated with the crew," Yun Jie replied, unfazed by Miaoyi's excitement. "Furthermore, the theme song may have a specific performance right before the film's release. However, the other party's bottom line is that it cannot be widely released on platforms. At the very least, we must wait until the film's promotional period to commence the publicity."
"Understood," Miaoyi nodded.
It appeared that the other party was genuinely committed to collaborating with her, just as Yun Jie had indicated.
"So... how did I do this time?" Immediately after finishing his report, Yun Jie unexpectedly asked, looking shyly at the ground.
This tone... Miaoyi instantly felt as though she were dealing with a young girl who had achieved outstanding grades and wanted to show off.
"Good, very good. You did an exceptional job, exceeding expectations," Miaoyi said, simultaneously laughing and tearing up, repeating the word "good" twice. "From now on, we are a team. Let's continue working hard, working hard."
Yun Jie chuckled.
After their discussion, Miaoyi glanced at the time and touched her flat stomach, then turned to Qiuying beside her and asked, "Qiuying, what should we have for lunch today?"
"I ordered three servings of Fotiaoqiang. Do you have any other special requests?" Qiuying glanced up briefly, uttered a few words, and returned to playing with her phone.
"That should be fine. Let's go with that," Miaoyi pondered for a moment and realized she didn't have any particular cravings at the moment. She nodded and asked Yun Jie, "How about you? Is there anything specific you'd like to eat? Don't hesitate to let us know; we'll be working together from now on."
"Do you... always eat like this?" Yun Jie cautiously asked.
"Yes, it's always like this," Miaoyi, seemingly oblivious to her own situation, questioned Yun Jie, seeking confirmation.
Yun Jie hesitated for a moment before finally saying, "It feels extravagant."
For Yun Jie, who had recently graduated and entered society, being with these two women and their lavish spending habits was quite a shocking experience.
"I don't have any particular cravings; this is sufficient," Yun Jie quickly shook his head, indicating his contentment.
However, at that moment, Qiuying, with a slightly mischievous smile, looked up and cheerfully said, "I suddenly feel like having clay pot rice. I ordered a few servings of abalone clay pot rice as well. Would you like to share any of it?"
"..."
"..."
Tang Miaoyi: "It's fine, Mr. Yun Jie. You'll get used to it over time."
"The perils of capitalism," Yun Jie playfully complained to Miaoyi, finally shedding his previous sense of awkwardness.
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